There were rumors earlier in the week of Artemi Panarin joining the Blackhawks, and on Friday, the team made the signing official.
The Blackhawks announced a two-year deal for the 23-year-old Russian forward, who will be playing for the NHL after spending seven seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League.
[SHOP: Get the latest Blackhawks gear here]
Last season, Panarin shared fourth in the KHL with a team-high 62 points and ranked fifth with 26 goals in 54 regular-season games with Saint Petersburg (SKA). He recorded a plus-18 rating and shared fifth in the league with seven game-winning goals.
Panarin also helped lead his team to the Gagarin Cup Championship with SKA. He was selected to the 2015 KHL All-Star Game, but did not play.
Panarin's recorded 183 points in 263 regular-season games in the KHL throughout the span of seven seasons, in addition to 29 points in 41 playoff contests with SKA and Ak Bars.